Israel, much like the fortress of Tel-Chai that Jospeh Trumpeldor fought to defend against Arab conquerors in 1920, finds itself beseiged by enemies both within and without. Terrorists, would-be friends inside and outside Israel, and even bad government officials. Here are the discussions of one proud Zionist resident on the state of the nation and abroad.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

London's Hackney council removes illegal Haredi modesty posters

Posters warning women they should only walk on one side of the road have been taken down after they sparked a backlash.

The notices, which were put up along streets in Stamford Hill, were removed after residents complained to Hackney Council.

Written in both English and Hebrew, they read: "Women should please walk along this side of the road only".

Just one little correction: the posters were written in Yiddish, which is similar, but still has differences to Hebrew.

The Shomrim group, whose Jewish volunteers support policing in the area, said they were put up by an orthodox Jewish group for a religious parade this week.

People from the religious sect are prohibited from touching members of the opposite sex unless they are married or closely related to them.

A custom that's incredibly laughable and there's no guarantee all members will actually follow it.

Stamford Hill West councillor Rosemary Sales described the posters as "unacceptable" and said they had been removed.

She told the Standard: "Several residents in my ward in Stamford Hill have drawn these posters to my attention.

"It is of course quite unacceptable to try to restrict women's movements in a public place and council officers removed these posters as soon as it was reported to them."

Superintendent Andy Walker, from Hackney police, said officers had spoken to the parade organisers about "potential misinterpretation" of the signs.

He added: "They have agreed that next year they will only by written in Hebrew and will be removed more swiftly after the event."

And how does that solve the problem? It makes zero difference whether it's directed at Haredi women; it's still discriminatory, and Haredi women shouldn't have to follow such a stupid custom either. The worst part is that this makes Jews, no matter their background, look as bad as Muslims who've posted similar signs around London declaring sharia zones. And unlike with the Haredis, the authorities have been more lenient with Muslims. Regardless of that, the Haredis are doing a terrible disfavor to the rest of the Jewish community by letting this mentality go about.

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About me

I'm Avi Green

From Jerusalem, Israel

I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best.